Police, community and calendar briefs for July 9, 2013

Monday

Jul 8, 2013 at 10:49 PM

Police, community and calendar briefs for July 9, 2013 are featured.

Community

Meeting about ‘tent city’ planned

The public is invited to attend a presentation at 9 a.m. today about the Open Arms Village, a proposed tent city for homeless people who want to change their lives. The meeting will take place in the Howard Academy cafeteria at 306 NW Seventh Ave., Ocala, during the Governor’s West Ocala Neighborhood Revitalization Council meeting.

Karla Grimsley, executive director of Interfaith Emergency Services, and partners in the Open Arms venture will discuss their plans for the facility, which is proposed to be built on city-owned property on Ocala’s west side. The Ocala City Council has not yet approved a contract for the land.

Rules for debris collection detailed

Marion County Solid Waste’s 18 recycling centers can accept up to 2 cubic yards of vegetative debris per vehicle per day, as follows:

The Baseline Recycling Center is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

The Marion County Landfill is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

For more information, call 671-8465 or visit www.marioncountyfl.org/SolidWaste.htm.

Safe boating course offered

The Harris Chain Sail & Power Squadron will hold a public safe boating course from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 13 at Millers Boating Center, 1661 U.S. 441, Ocala.

The cost is $49 for the first family member, which includes a book, and $2 for other family members willing to share the book. Registration is required.

Attendees who pass a final exam will receive an FWC Boating Safety Education ID card, whichis required for all boaters born after Jan. 1, 1988. For more information, call 259-9711 or visit www.harrischain.org.

Gator Gathering set July 25 at CF

The Marion County Gator Club will host its annual Gator Gathering at 5:30 p.m. July 25 at the College of Central Florida Ewers Center, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala.

The featured speaker will be Coach D.J. Durkin, defensive coordinator.

Tickets are $30 and available at Gator Patch in the Paddock Mall and Greiner’s at 405 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala.

Proceeds go toward scholarships for Marion County students. For more information, call Bill Campbell at 351-3501.

Circle of Parents plans meeting

Circle of Parents, an educational support group for parents, will meet at 11:30 a.m. July 31 at the Ocala Family Resource Center, 215 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Ocala.

Meetings are free and childcare is provided with pre-registration.

For more information, call 369-2315 or visit www.elc-marion.org.

CERT training begins in Sept.

Community Emergency Response Team training will begin Sept. 5 at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, 692 NW 30th Ave., Ocala.

The purpose is to train and certify volunteers to be first responders in the event of a disaster such as a hurricane or tornado.

The eight-session training program will be offered from 1 to 3:30 p.m. or 6:30 to 9 p.m.

The afternoon and evening classes run concurrently and attendance can be mixed, depending on availability. Only one class can be missed and some classes are mandatory.

The CERT program is under the direction of the Division of Emergency Management of the Sheriff’s Office.

The training is free. The registration deadline is Aug. 17. For more information, call Bob Conn at 812-0853.